A psalm for wintertime
January 19, 2012
WINTER PSALM
The wind whips spirals of snow
dervishes dancing across icy asphalt
snowplows call out to one another
backing up to ply their routes again
the atmosphere looms, pregnant
with the promise of precipitation
and I? I scatter handfuls of cat litter
across the driveway's uneven terrain
casting prayers for the safe passage
of all who come, and all who go
I've recently been rereading the Worship issue of Qarrtsiluni -- including my own poem Without Ceasing. That poem was written in high summer, and its metaphors reflect that season. This week I've caught some glimpses of what makes this season -- deep winter -- also beautiful here. And, of course, if the windmills and cicadas can offer praise, why not the snowplows?
I had fun with the alliteration and assonance in this draft. I'm still pondering the poem's stresses -- the first few lines have four stresses per line, the fourth line has five stresses, the fifth line has three and the sixth line has only two. (All the remaining lines have four -- at least I think they do.) I can't decide whether or not this bothers me. Read the poem, listen to the mp3, let me know what you think?